SMT Virtual 2021
SMT 2021

Resources for Presenters, Chairs, and Session Monitors


The information below includes general guidance for presenters, sessions chairs, session monitors, and interest groups. Conference attendees may also be interested in reading this information, as it outlines the format of our various session types.

Information for Paper Sessions

This is a resource for session chairs, presenters, and monitors of SMT paper sessions.

For information on how to create and submit your conference materials, visit the Conference Presenter Guidelines. 

Before the session

Each session will be assigned a Monitor. Both Chairs and Monitors will be given “host/co-host” privileges. 

Presenters, Chairs, and Monitors should join the meeting 10 minutes before the session begins by following the link on the session page; a staff member will admit you from the waiting room into the meeting.  Shortly after joining the meeting, a staff member will turn over host duties to the Chair(s) and Monitor.

During this time:

  • Monitors: make sure that Presenters know how to share their screen, if they’d like to do that. 

  • Chairs: remind Presenters of the progression of the session, including presentation order.

  • Chairs/Monitors: if one of your Presenters does not arrive, please contact smt@societymusictheory.org. 

  • Chairs/Monitors: About one minute before the start time, disable the waiting room feature to admit attendees.

Session Intro

  • Chair: Begin the session with a brief intro (see the sample script) that includes the session’s title, order of presentations, and information about the presentations being recorded and available through December 31.

  • Chair: Read the brief statement (below) about appropriate language and behavior.

    • "SMT wishes to create a meeting in which all participants feel safe, welcomed and included. This should be a space of respectful and constructive discourse. To facilitate such an environment, we ask that all attendees refer to and abide by our guidelines on respectful interactions and policies on ethics and harassment."

  • Monitor: as the Chair reads the statement, post a link to our guidelines on respectful interactions and policies on ethics, and harassment in the Chat.  

Presentation

  • Chair: After the session intro, introduce each presentation in turn, giving presentation title and Presenter(s) name(s) and affiliation(s) only. (Presenter biographies will not be read, but may be found on the session page.)

  • Each presentation will have a maximum of 20 minutes. It is up to the chair to ensure that each presentation and Q&A last no more than 30 minutes.

    • Q&A

  • There will be a 10-minute Q&A following each presentation.

  • Chair: You may invite questions for the presenter after the presentation has finished. It is up to the chair’s discretion as to how to accept questions. We encourage chairs to use the chat for attendees to submit questions.

  • It is up to the chair to ensure that each presentation and Q&A last no more than 30 minutes.

    • Session Ending

    • Chairs and Monitors have a responsibility to end the meeting on time. Most sessions are expected to last 90 minutes, but may be more or less, depending on the number of papers in the session. If this responsibility is not carried out by the Chair or Monitor, an administrator will end the session so that the next meeting of presentations may begin on time.

    • If there is a session following yours, note that your zoom must be vacant no later than 10 minutes before the beginning time of that next session.

    • Chairs: As the session ends, you should point participants to the asynchronous discussion on Slack. At that time, monitors should share a link to the session's Slack so that the discussion can continue.

    Session Monitor Responsibilities

    • The Monitor will post links to the SMT guidelines on respectful interactions and policies on ethics and harassment in the chat window at the beginning of the session.

    • The Monitor will follow the chat to ensure that attendees respect the SMT guidelines on respectful interactions. 

    • The Monitor is responsible for recording the session.

    • Monitors will post links to the asynchronous Slack discussion in the Zoom chat.

    If You Need Help During the Session

    Information for Poster Sessions

    This is a resource for session chairs, presenters, and monitors of SMT poster sessions.

    For information on how to create and submit your conference materials, visit the Conference Presenter Guidelines.

    Poster sessions begin as Zoom meetings, but after introductory remarks from the Chair and lightning talks from the Presenters, each poster presentation will have their own individual Zoom meeting room where they can interact with attendees.

    Before the session

    • Each session will be assigned a Monitor. Both Chairs and Monitors will have “host/co-host” privileges. 

    • Presenters, Chairs, and Monitors should join the meeting 10 minutes before the session begins by following the link on the session page; a staff member will admit you from the waiting room into the meeting. Shortly after joining the meeting, a staff member will turn over host duties to the Chair(s) and Monitor.

    • During this time:

      • Monitors: instruct Chairs and Presenters to open the “chat” window. This will allow them to see what's being posted in the chat, and what questions are being asked.

      • Monitors: make sure that Presenters know how to share their screen, if they’d like to do that. 

      • Monitors: create a breakout room for each poster author(s). Use the presenters’ names to label the rooms. Include language on how to set up and close breakout rooms.

      • Chairs: remind Presenters of the progression of the session, including presentation order and the procedure by which each poster will be sent to an individual meeting room. 

      • In the case of a multi-authored poster, the Monitor should confirm which of the Presenters will be giving the summary so they know which person(s) to unmute for that presentation summary.

      • Chairs/Monitors: if one of your Presenters does not arrive, please contact smt@societymusictheory.org. 

      • Monitors: About one minute before the start time, begin to admit attendees from the waiting room into the meeting. 

    Session Intro

    • Chair: Begin the session with a brief intro (see the sample script) that includes the session’s title, order of presentations, and information about the presentations being recorded and available on the conference platform through December 31.

    • Chair: Read the brief statement (below) about appropriate language and behavior.

      • "SMT wishes to create a meeting in which all participants feel safe, welcomed and included. This should be a space of respectful and constructive discourse. To facilitate such an environment, we ask that all attendees refer to and abide by our guidelines on respectful interactions and policies on ethics and harassment."

    • Monitor: as the Chair reads the statement, post a link to our guidelines on respectful interactions and policies on ethics, and harassment in the Chat.  

    • Chair: communicate to attendees the poster session procedure: after short presentations by the Presenters (no more than five-minutes), each poster Presenter will have their own individual Zoom breakout room where they will be able to interact with attendees.

    Presentation Summaries

    • Chair: After the session intro, introduce each presentation in turn, giving presentation title and Presenter(s) name(s) and affiliation(s) only. (Presenter biographies will not be read, but can be found on the session page.)

    • Each presentation will have a maximum of 5 minutes for presentation summary. These comments should be prepared ahead of time to ensure appropriate length. Presenters are expected to listen to all of the summaries before heading into their individual Zoom breakout rooms (see Q&A, below).

    Q&A

    • Following the summaries of all presentations, each of the Poster Presenters will move to an individual Zoom breakout room where they can interact with attendees. 

    • In each of these Zoom meeting rooms, the Presenter(s) and Attendees will be able to see each other and interact face-to-face. Presenters may also answer questions that are posted in the Chat.

    • The Chair and Monitor are expected to move around from room to room and interact with Presenters.

    Session Ending

    • The session is expected to end on time. If this responsibility is not carried out by the Presenter(s), an administrator may end the session so that the next meeting may begin on time.

    Other Session Monitor Responsibilities

    • The session monitor will post links to the SMT guidelines on respectful interactions and policies on ethics and harassment in the Chat at the beginning of the session.

    • The Monitor will coordinate with the Chair to monitor the Zoom breakout rooms. Monitors should ensure that Presenters and Attendees respect the SMT guidelines on respectful interactions. 

    • Monitors will post links to the asynchronous Slack discussion in the Zoom chat.

    If You Need Help During the Session